Adieu Joby

Adieu Joby

Come Joby take a lift in my cycle, then Joby would reply as usual “No, I am fine” as usual and continue running with me in the speed of my cycle. Athletic as he was, he always refused anyone’s life and preferred to run from his home to the school. He lived in railway quarters around 500 mts from our school. The school which has been the best school I ever attended, for this school has given me the best of buddies.

Joby Thomas was a Keralite growing up in a staunch Roman Catholic family. Sunday mass was the thing his family never missed. His father was in railway police force and he was very strict, opposite to him his mother was very loving. In some 2 or 3 years we went to his house just once. But he joined us in every game we played. Fit as he was both physically and mentally. I remember to this day how he removed a dead sparrow from our class bench after all the girls were shouting and we boys were enjoying. We enjoyed those carefree days fully and they passed out like cool breeze. Our last year in school the dreaded SSC year, when parents are more worried for studies than the student himself. Nevertheless we enjoyed that year too and all of us passed with good percentage. After that we all separated as schooling after SSC was not available in our town.

Luckily Joby and I chose the Rajkot as our city for further schooling. He took admission is St Mary’s and I got in LBS shortened fro Lal Bahadur Shastri vidyalay. Joby stayed with his paternal aunt and I stayed in our community hostel. Now he too had a cycle, I imported my cycle a black gold line super via state transport bus and I only did both the loading and unloading of cycle on the top of the bus. Joby’s aunty’s house was near my hostel. Every evening we went out to eat pani puri, gola, sugar cane juice. We mostly went for sugar cane juice, as I had taken a fantasy of a girl working there along with her father. That period was sort of turbulent as I was trying hard to adapt to the hostel’s environment and Joby was trying to adapt to the environment of his auntie’s house. One day his uncle came to my hostel and asked about Joby, I did not know anything and he had run away from his house, his uncle inquired about how much money I had given him so that he can know how far he has gone? Joby returned after one day. But we both enjoyed that time and about studies, what the hech is that? Next year too the same followed. I particularly remember two incidents. One of my room mate who was with me lost my all Journals purposefully so I got so angry that I was going to break his cupboard then Joby said “Use my cycle key that can open this thing”; It did and I also stole his journals so he complained to the warden and in turn warden took aways Joby’s cycle then I had to explain everything to the warden and it ended only when I got my journals back. Second was that Joby paddled whole night upto Jamnagar from Rajkot and drank a tea and returned back in morning. What stamina? Actually his plan was to run away but thankfully Almighty gave his little light to light up his empty head. As expected and awaited we both failed in the final year of schooling. So I was called back home while in the mean time Joby’s family too had moved to Rajkot. One more thing Bhargav our mutual and dear friend also moved to Rajkot to help his dad in business. While in hostel Joby and I both used to receive letters from Shrenik our dear friend.

Next year I cleared my XII and Joby kept on trying on and on with his turbulences, clearing one or two papers every year. During this time a strong bond was created between him and Bhargav. Life moved on and we both joined job. Joby’s dad retired and they bought a new house which was very far. As I was emotionally very strong and little rough and stubborn in nature, it was obvious for Joby and Bhargav to have great friendship. I am as a person very introvert and moody. But our friendship was very strong, thanks especially to Bhargav for that. We all enjoyed at his video editing shop whenever Shrenik came to Rajkot.

Years flew away leaving depreciation in our lives when we all ran after job and money and everything else that was not important but necessary to survive. One day I had very good news that Joby had fallen in love with some office girl from his office. It was a very good thing as we all thought that now Joby deserved this solace to his ever burning soul.  Colours started to be magically filled in his empty canvass for this was his very first girl friend in his entire life. Joby started taking interest in all musical band of the church. Guitars started to play in his life and we all were overjoyed. Years flew by and we all thought that this is going on fine. One day when we visited Joby at late night and his mother scolded him, he grew so angry that he broke a coffee cup on his head. This was not the first time that Joby was angry but his anger was very violent. Maybe because of that or out of sheer curiosity, I decided that I wanted to see his girlfriend though he was not eager for that so after telling him many times my chance came to see her. I saw her for first time I don’t exactly remember her face but today also I remember her bra strap showing out from her right shoulder, that was the first and the last time I ever saw her. I am trying to recollect her name but I am not able to remember it. Major thing was that it didn’t look sexy but rather repulsive. But still she was Joby’s gf so she was special for us.

Calendars changed and years passed. I was getting lesser and time to meet Joby and Bhargav and other friends. Joby worked very hard and completed his XII and also completed one year of bachelors from an open university. He had become master in computers and life flowed. Everything was going cool and suddenly one day his mother died. His whole world collapsed for she was the only person in his house who would solace him. I am not telling that his dad didn’t love him but for a man to show all his emotions is a difficult thing especially when his duty entails him to be strong. Nevertheless his family being staunch never approved his choice of a gujarati sindhi girl.

 Bhargav was always near him whatever information I got was from him only. Bhargav told me that Joby never went for lunch but drank 15-20 tea instead. He used to hand over his full salary to his gf and then he had to take petty amounts also from her, which of-course is humiliating if we are refused. He had also sold some ornaments and a computer and given to his gf. Talking about his gf, she did never mind in sitting behind her any colleague or was ever behind in teasing Joby with other colleagues. Maybe I am little old fashioned but it was something I would never tolerate from my gf. But still she was part of my dearest friend’s life to the level of obsession. Also on the girl’s side her brothers were local don so that was also the fear for Joby. One day when I went to Rajkot I saw him, he had grown pale and eye sockets were clearly visible. He had never done in-shirt from first and always wore chappals only. He looked ghastly without any smile something like dark cloud without the silver lining. So we both Bhargav and I advised him to run away without any tension of money as now I was on good job and Bhargav too had a good business. We assured to support him for six months and maybe more if he’s not getting a decent job. But he didn’t agree. I think he had also seen DDLJ.

Then in one of the happy moments we were together and Joby informed us that he had got a job in Dubai and he was to join during Diwali. This was very good news as at least he would be away from all the worries.

One day a call rang from Bhargav to tell me that something wrong had happened with Joby. We both were in Morbi and away from Rajkot so we rushed to bus station, but there was no bus for Rajkot, so we went for private vehicle but they were on strike. So finally we decided to go on my Bajaj and as we were leaving we found an ST bus and boarded it fast. We sat there with all the vile thoughts and sitting silent except for answering Bhargav as he talks much when he can’t understand the situation. I am totally opposite as I prefer to stay silent.

When we reached Rajkot, we saw a bus taking away coffin of Joby Thomas. We could not even see his face for the last time. We found that he had hanged himself in his room at night by a cable wire attached to the fan hook. We all cried much. I had also seen his gf and other office colleagues when the coffin was being taken away. At night we stayed in the room where Joby was last, from the condition of the door it looked that they had broken it open. His younger brother was also with us and told us that they broke it when he didn’t respond. We also prayed for the peace of his soul and lit lamps in the house. His dad’s eyes were dried without any tears but we could feel the pain of the father losing his eldest son. His aunty also was very sad for he had stayed for a long period with her. The house was under a very stronghold of gloom. Our minds had stopped and we were not able to accept the situation. We forced our eyes remembering all his fond memories. We got up early in morning and returned to our houses. After that what happened to Joby’s family I don’t know as my feet could never take me to his house.

We could never find out what happened but it was a great loss for all the people who loved Joby. We could never envision how such an ambitious, hard working, honest and very strong person could do this thing. But the thing I wish to tell my all friends is there is no reason enough to take our own life and deprive our near and dear ones. Also please don’t be too possessive about any person as I never wish to lose one more Joby. You are a boy or girl it doesn’t matter. What matters is you have family and friends who very much want you in one piece. They are your world and no problem whether its love or any other can be stronger than them. Face the problems and enjoy the love, for it’s really bliss, without love there is no life but without life also there can’t be any love. Also stop pushing your dear ones to the edge that they have no other options. Subtract such people who are born just to give you pain from your life Guys chill and let the colours of love fill your lives. Wish you ever lasting love and enjoy this day of love.